Chris Rock Won’t Be Talking to Will Smith Anytime Soon After Smith’s Oscars Slap Apology Video
Will Smith ended months of total silence and finally apologized to Chris Rock for the Oscars slap in 2022. The most shocking event in Academy Awards history overshadowed the entire show, and Smith needed four months to craft an apology beyond a short Instagram post. Smith’s apology video mentioned that Rock would reach out to him when he’s ready to talk about the incident. Smith could be waiting for quite a while as Rock is in no rush to talk about it.
Will Smith finally apologizes to Chris Rock for the Oscars slap
Rock delivered his joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s bald head just before presenting an Academy Award, and Smith delivered his world-famous slap moments later. Rock later claimed not to know about Pinkett-Smith’s alopecia. That was March 27, 2022. Four months later, Smith posted a nearly six-minute video to his social media accounts on July 29.
The video (via YouTube) opens with a written message in which Smith reveals he’s been doing “a lot of thinking and personal work” over the last several months. After saying he was too “fogged out” to say sorry to Rock during his best actor acceptance speech, Smith apologized to Rock, his mother, and Rock’s brother, Tony. Aside from an Instagram post in March, Smith avoided addressing the Oscars slap in any way.
Smith said he reached out to Rock to apologize directly and that Rock isn’t ready to talk but will reach out when he is. Well, Smith could be waiting a while as Rock reportedly has no plans to open the lines of communication.
Rock doesn’t want to talk to Smith
Smith stayed largely silent for months after the Oscars slap, but Rock never hid from the public. Rock won the aftermath of the incident by embarking on a worldwide comedy tour. He repeatedly mentioned he didn’t want to talk about the slap. It seems Rock doesn’t want to talk to Smith anytime soon
Smith finally apologized to Rock over the slap, but he shouldn’t expect a call from Rock anytime soon. Rock’s “Ego Death” comedy tour continues through late November, but being busy with his performances is only one reason he won’t pick up the phone.
According to Entertainment Tonight, a source close to Rock said the comedian has no plans to speak with the King Richard star. Smith would seemingly love for Rock to accept his apology publicly so they can both move on, but he will have to wait.
“Chris has no plans to reach out to Will,” the source said, per ET. The same source also believes that the timing of the apology is more for Will’s best interest. “He needs the public’s forgiveness, not Chris’.”
The apology video missed the mark
Saying something is better than staying silent, but Smith’s video apology to Rock still misses the mark.
The written message at the beginning includes “I” twice. Smith’s first word after reading an off-camera question is “I.” The opening section of the video contains Smith’s apology to Rock for the Oscars slap. He spends 17 seconds saying sorry to Rock and another 33 seconds apologizing to Rock’s mother and brother. That’s a mere 50 seconds of a nearly six-minute video apologizing to the people hurt the most by Smith’s actions.
Immediately after Smith apologizes to Rock and his family, he talks about himself for nearly as long. Later in the video, he spends more than a minute saying sorry to his family and the Academy Awards nominees.
Smith talks about himself more than Rock in the video. He never admits that Rock didn’t deserve that kind of treatment. Smith doesn’t talk about their friendship; he doesn’t even say he’s sorry for not saying something sooner.
Based on Smith’s behavior the night of the Oscars slap and his self-centered video apology months later, he might be waiting a while to talk to Rock.
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